Secrets of the past - Prince Merlin fanfic

Chapter Twenty-Four

Silently walking through the corridors, Merlin came closer and closer to the training field where he knew Arthur would be. The king of Camelot had been hitting a training mummy with a rage when Merlin had checked his whereabouts with his magic.

Two servants coming from a chamber stopped immediately after seeing Merlin, who hurried right past them. He wasn't sure if they had been in the servants' room when he and Milo had come there hiding. Nevertheless, they must have heard the rumors about the long lost prince's return. And even though Merlin had grown from the little boy and they might not recognise him, the fact that he looked very similar to his brothers gave it away.

But Merlin didn't acknowledge them now. Finding Arthur was the priority.

He came to an end of the hall and walked outside from a door that led to the training field. A couple of knights were on a watch on the sidelines. The only one training was the king of Camelot who's sword clanging could have been heard from miles away.

Merlin hesitated for a moment before heading in the king's direction. He realised, he hadn't any plan. He didn't know how he was going to start their conversation or what he even wanted to talk about with him. All he knew, was that he needed to hear Arthur's voice.

When Merlin walked closer, Arthur turned to look who was coming. His plank expression change to a confused one.

"What're you doing here?" He asked with a stoic voice.

"I...I wanted to see you," Merlin said hesitantly.

Arthur turned his back and continued to hit the tummy. "Don't you have your own kingdom to worry about," Arthur said loudly so his words could be heard over the clanging. "You don't have to pretend to be my friend anymore."

"No, that's-" Merlin started but was interrupted.

"I understand, you needed a place where to hide but now you don't anymore so can you leave me alone," Arthur said with the same stoic tone like nothing was wrong. But everything was wrong. They couldn't talk to each other like they used to.

Merlin stayed still. He wasn't going to leave before they had solved things between them.

"I said, leave!" Arthur raised his voice a little bit turning to face Merlin again. His body language signaled calmness but his eyes light up with fury. Like he tried to restrain his anger but his eyes betrayed him.

"I'm not leaving until we have this discussion," Merlin reasoned.

"Okay, fine, then talk. Explain, what gave you the freedom to lie to my face," Arthur said.

"It was the only way," Merlin desperately explained.

"No, it wasn't and you know it. You could have told me. You could have told me everything. But you didn't so it says a lot about what you think of me and-"

"No, it doesn't!" Merlin interrupted. "I'm still the same guy. And the only thing I lied about, was my true identity and magic. Everything else was real."

"Now, the difference is that I don't believe a word you say," Arthur breathed out. "Now, can you leave?"

"But we haven't sorted things out," Merlin said. They were on as bad terms as before. Or even worse.

"I don't care about that!" Arthur shouted suddenly. He was done pretending like he wasn't mad. "I'm leaving as soon as the knights are ready because I don't want to spend another minute here with you!"

With one last furious look, Arthur left Merlin alone and marched away from the training field. Merlin sank on the ground and leaned on the training mummy. Birds singing from a distant drifted to his ears. The happy melody was a reminder of the times he had to spend in the forest in his childhood. Usually, it made a smile on his lips but now all it brought, was tears to his eyes and a sinking feeling to his stomach. Nothing was going to go back to how things had been.